Surfacing-machine for bowling-alleys.



L. ENGEL. v

SURFACING MACHINE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-12,19l7.

2 SHEETS-SHEET mfenlior Patented J an., 21, 1919.

- L. ENGEL SURFACING MACHINE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12,4917- 1,29 1,812; Patented Jan. 21,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. fl W m fm I 14 5 20 '45 5 10 19 L y M E 10 y x f 8 T i W L 4 a 3 maxmmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ENGEL, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SURFAOING-MACHINE FOR BOWLING-ALLEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1919.

Original application filed December 8, 1916, Serial No. 135,733. Divided and this application filed November 12, 1917. Serial No. 201,414.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Louis ENGEL, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Surfacing-Machines for Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to surfacing machines and the application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 135,733, filed December 8, 1916.

The primary object of the invention is the provisionof a polishing device actuated by driving mechanism supported on the machine and capable of adjustment toward and from the alley bed.

Further objects of my invention reside in means whereby the machine may be readily taken down for transportation and in the varous combinations of elements whereby the structure and operation of the machine is simplified as will be better understood by reference to the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawing illustrating the preferred embodiments thereof in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of the machine including the' v olishing device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in section of the polishing device, and r Fig. 5 is a side elevation illustrating a. slightly different form of my invention.

Referring to the drawing 5 indicates a frame constructed in any suitable manner and supporting a platform 6 upon which the driving motor 7 is disposed. The rear portion only of the platform 6 is illustrated, together with the driving wheels 8 secured to an axle 9 which is journaled in depending hangers 10 secured to the frame 5. It is to be understood that theforward end of the frame 5 is supported by similar wheels (not shown).

A transverse shaft 11 is journaled in suitable hangers 12 sup orted from the platform 6 and is provi ed with a sprocket 13 which is driven through a chain 14 from a sprocket 15 on the shaft 16 of the motor 7. The shaft 11 is provided with a worm 17 which drives a worm gear 18 on a longitudinally extending shaft 19 journaled in suitable hangers 20 supported from the platform 6. h

A worm 21 on the shaft 19 meshes with a worm gear 22 loose on the axle 9 and provided with a clutch 23. A clutch 241, is splined to the axle 9 and is movable into engagement with the clutch 23 by means of alever 25 pivotally mounted at 26 on :a bracket 27 secured to the underside of the platform 6. The lever 25 is provided with an operating handle 28 projecting through a suitable openingin the platform 6 so that the operator may readily connect or disconnect the driving means with the axle 9 to start or stop the travel of the machine along the alley bed.

The means for polishing the alley bed comprises a member 29 having a pad of felt orother suitable material 30 secured to its 76 under surface over which fine sand-paper 31 is disposed, the latter being held in place by clamps 32 secured by thumb nuts 33. The member 29 is supported on pins 34.at the end of a vertical shaft 35 which is .in turn supported on a lever 36 fulcrumed at 37 on a member 38 projecting rearwardly from the platform 6. The end of the lever 36 is threadedly mounted on a screw 39 having an operating handle 40 so that the shaft 35 may be raised or lowered as desired. A sleeve 41 surrounding the shaft35 supports the end of a driving shaft 42 connected by a detachable coupling 43 to a shaft 44. The shaft 44 is supported by suitable hangers 45 from the platform 6 and is driven through a worm gear 46 from a worm 47 on the shaft 11. A bevel gear 48 fast to the vertical shaft 35 so that the shaft 35 is driven through the shafts 42 and 44 from the motor 7, thus rotating the member 29 to smooth-the alley bed. The sleeve 41 is connected to the frame 5 by radius rods 50 which maintain the sleeve in properly spaced relation to the machine.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a slightly different form of driving connection for the polishing member 29. The structure differs from that previously described onlyin the provision on the axle 9 of a gear 51 mesh- 105 ing with a pinion 52 on a transverse shaft 53 bearing a sprocket 54. A chain 55 connects the sprocket 54 to a sprocket 56 to which is secured a bevel pinion 57 meshing with a bevel gear 58 on the vertical shaft 55. 110

means of the shafts as in the embodiment previously described.

The entire machine is guided with respect to the alley bed by rollers adapted to engage the side rails of the alley. The rollers 60 are mounted on rods 61 threadedly .mounted in the hangers 10 adjacent the driving wheels 8.

T he mode of operation of the machine will be apparent from the following brief description thereof. It is to be understood that the machine is provided at its forward end with means to reduce the surface of the alley bed to a level plane. This means forms no part of my present invention be ing described and claimed in the above mentioned application and is therefore not shown in detail herein. When it is desired to polish the alley bed thehandle 40 is operated to move the member 29 into engagement with the alley bed where it is rotated at high speed to scour and polish the surface. During this operation the machine advances slowly along the alley bed until the entire surface has been treated.

Obviously the machine is employed but a short time at any particular place and must be readily transportable in order to be useful. T have provided for a ready transportation of the machine by an arrangement which permits separation of the polishing device from the remainder of the machine. This is accomplished by removing the radius rods 50 separatingthe coupling 43 and removing a bolt 59 which connects the member 38 to the platform 6.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that T have perfected a machine of simple construction which is adapted to accomplish the desired purpose of polishing mechanically a bowling alley bed which has been previously reduced to a plane surface. The alley bed is left by the machine in a polished condition ready to receive the usual coating of finishing material.

It will be apparent that. various changes may be made in the form construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its material advantages, the forms hereinbefore described being merely preferred embodiments thereof. ll claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a carriage, a support detachably connected to and projecting rearwarolly from said carriage, a lever fulcrumed on said support, a vertical shaft supported by said lever, a rotatable head pivotally connected to theend of said shaft, a guiding sleeve surrounding said shaft, radius rods connecting said sleeve and carriage and readily detachable from the latter, a driving shaft on said carriage, a driven shaft supported at one end by said sleeve, a readily detachable connection between said driving and driven shaft, means connecting said driven and vertical shafts, and means for advancing said carriage and for rotating said driving shaft.

2. In a machine of the character described the combination of a carriage, a support projecting rearwardly thereto, a lever fulcrumed on Said support a vertical shaft supported by said lever, a rotatable head at the end of said shaft, a guiding sleeve snrnecting said sleeve and carriage and means for advancing saidcarriage and rotating said shaft.

3. In a machine of the character described the combination of a carriage a support projecting rearwardly therefrom, and detachably connected thereto, a lever fulcrumed on said support, a vertical shaft supported by said lever, a rotatable head at the end of said shaft, a guiding sleeve surrounding said shaft, means detachably connecting said sleeve and carriage, power means on said carriage, and power transmitting means detachably connected to said power means for driving said vertical shaft.

4-. In a machine ofthe character described the combination of a carriage, a support projectingrearwardly therefrom, and dctachably connected thereto, a lever fulcrumed on said support, a vertical shaft supported by said lever, a rotatable head at 1 for advancing said carriage.

LOUIS ENGEL.

Witnesses:

DAVID L. SHAW, W. F. Youne. 

